Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez was denied bail in court Monday. He is charged in the death of a 7-year-old boy.

Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez was denied bail in court Monday. He is charged in the death of a 7-year-old boy.

Photo: Johnny Hanson

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Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez, 27, appears in magistrate court where he was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault during his initial appearance Monday, March 19, 2012, in Houston. Lopez-Rodriguez has been charged in the death of a 7-year-old boy when he drove into the child's apartment in southwest Houston last weekend. Lopez, of Houston, is being held in the Harris County jail without bail, according to Harris County records. Lopez was driving a Ford Crown Victoria on Harwin when he lost control of the car, swerved across the median and barreled into the corner apartment.

Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez, 27, appears in magistrate court where he was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault during his initial appearance Monday, March 19, 2012, in Houston.

Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez, 27, appears in magistrate court where he was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault during his initial appearance Monday, March 19, 2012, in Houston. Lopez-Rodriguez has been charged in the death of a 7-year-old boy when he drove into the child's apartment in southwest Houston last weekend. Lopez, of Houston, is being held in the Harris County jail without bail, according to Harris County records. Lopez was driving a Ford Crown Victoria on Harwin when he lost control of the car, swerved across the median and barreled into the corner apartment.

Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez, 27, appears in magistrate court where he was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault during his initial appearance Monday, March 19, 2012, in Houston.

Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez, 27, appears in magistrate court where he was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault during his initial appearance Monday, March 19, 2012, in Houston. Lopez-Rodriguez has been charged in the death of a 7-year-old boy when he drove into the child's apartment in southwest Houston last weekend. Lopez, of Houston, is being held in the Harris County jail without bail, according to Harris County records. Lopez was driving a Ford Crown Victoria on Harwin when he lost control of the car, swerved across the median and barreled into the corner apartment.

Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez, 27, appears in magistrate court where he was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault during his initial appearance Monday, March 19, 2012, in Houston.

A suspected drunken driver accused of crashing into a home, killing one child and injuring another, is being held without bail after a judge heard Monday that he may not be in this country legally.

Luis Hector Lopez-Rodriguez, 27, is accused of losing control of the blue Ford Crown Victoria he was driving and plowing into the front porch of a southwest Houston apartment, where two children were playing during a Saturday night party.

During a brief court appearance Monday, Magistrate Judge Blanca Villagomez said federal officials have put a hold on Lopez-Rodriguez. That action typically means his immigration status is in question. He apparently is a Mexican citizen.

Lopez-Rodriguez is charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxicated assault. If convicted, he faces a maximum punishment of life in prison.

Jesus Ordonez, 7, was killed when the vehicle rammed into the front porch. Christopher Cruz, 4, was in critical condition with burns over 40 percent of his body. He was burned by a hot grill upended when the car hit the porch, Assistant Harris County District Attorney Todd Keagle said during a brief hearing Monday.

Lopez-Rodriguez was last booked into Harris County Jail in December 2007 - nearly a year before the county started participating in ICE's Secure Communities immigration enforcement program, which runs suspects' fingerprints through a Homeland Security database.

It was unclear from court records whether ICE officials questioned Lopez-Rodriguez or marked him for possible deportation in 2007.